Whole House Cleanout: Easy Ways to Tidy Up and Declutter Your Home

Recent trends like minimalism, tiny living, and Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method have many people dreaming of a clean, tidy home. However, our physical belongings are often associated with emotional attachments or nostalgic memories. When you’re struggling to part with unused items, what can you do? Luckily, you can use tested, proven methods to tidy up your home. Decluttering doesn’t have to feel tedious or difficult; in fact, with the right approach, it’s a life-changing, revitalizing activity for everyone in the household.

With that in mind, here are some fun, easy ways to approach the process of tidying up so you can keep your home clean and clutter-free.

Before You Begin

When it comes to tidying up your home, you probably have some inspiration or ideas in mind, yet you might feel uncertain about where to begin. Before diving into the organizational process, it’s best to prepare. First, sit down and take a few minutes to list each room of your home that needs your attention. Remember to include low-traffic areas like the attic and garage.

Reducing Clutter

Once you have your list, you’re ready to go through each room of your house, focusing on the areas that need your attention. Now, you’ll remove unused items that contribute to a messy home. Throughout this entire process, your mantra will be “I live in a home, not a storage unit.”

However, tidying up doesn’t have to feel like a draining process. The key is to keep your happiness in mind. Organizational experts recommend dividing each room’s contents into separate piles of items you want to keep, sell, throw away, or donate. You can also have a “maybe” pile, if needed, for anything you’re undecided about.

One simple tip is to go through each item in your “maybe” pile and ask yourself whether that item brings you joy. If you don’t love the item and you never use it anymore, it might be time to sell, donate, or trash it. Another approach is the 90/90 rule: Have you used the item in the past 90 days? If not, are you likely to use it within the next 90 days?

Of course, there’s a good chance you’ll come across items you don’t use yet aren’t ready to part with, like family heirlooms. If you’ve been storing these items in the garage, closets, or other areas of your home, they might be contributing to the mess. However, that doesn’t mean you have to let them go. Another option is to invest in a local self-storage unit. These units affordably reduce your home’s clutter.

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Keeping Clean

After removing unused belongings, your home’s ready for a deep clean. Here’s where some creative organizational products can come in handy. Look for products that help you store your belongings in tidy ways, so you know where everything is. These days, you can easily find affordable ottomans with hidden storage compartments; you can find inexpensive ottomans starting at around $45. Business Insider notes that there’s no right or wrong to this approach; it’s all about finding what works for you and your space.

According to Prevention magazine, studies have shown that a messy home contributes to higher stress levels. Psychologists have also linked clutter to increased anxiety. Luckily, cleaning your home is easier without unused junk in the way. Invest in some reliable cleaning products, schedule a weekly cleaning day, and regularly purge any unused items to keep messes from getting out of hand. If you simply don’t have time to keep up with a proper cleaning schedule, hire a professional service to do the dirty work for you — just keep in mind that you’ll probably have to shell out $25 to $50 per hour for this luxury.

By preparing for the decluttering process, investing in organizational products, and regularly tidying up your home, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success. Embracing change is tough, but you’ll eventually make so much progress that you’ll wonder why you hesitated in the first place. A spotless, organized home is energizing and refreshing. With all the time you’ll save on cleaning your home, you’ll have more freedom to do the things you genuinely want to do.